A Huge Mistake

Here is the roll call vote on the Ensign amendment -- that is, the one that was intended to ensure that newly legalized illegals couldn't collect social security for previous work that had been done under fraudulent or unlawful pretenses (i.e. when they were, in fact, illegals). It was defeated, by a vote of 50-49.

Only 5 Democrats voted with the overwhelmingly Republican group of senators who oppose allowing collection of social security benefits for work that had been done as an illegal (i.e. as a lawbreaker). They were Byrd (WV), Conrad (ND), Dayton (MN), Nelson (FLA) and Nelson (NEB).

Here is the list of Republican defectors to the Democratic side: Brownback (KS - who has seriously harmed his presidential aspirations, as he hopes to target conservatives), Chafee (RI - big surprise), DeWine (OH - obviously trying to make a tough campaign even tougher), Graham (SC - a McCain wannabe), Hagel (NEB - all McCain's "righteousness" with none of the charm), Lugar (IN), Martinez (FL), McCain (AZ - 'nuff said? Maybe he's believing the Beltway hype), Specter (PA), Stevens (AK) and Voinovich (OH).

Seems to me that Senator McCain has has not only managed to botch the immigration issue -- he's done serious damage to his claims of fiscal responsibility. With a social security system in dire straits, does it make sense to promise to be handing out more benefits? And couldn't it, fairly, be argued that not only is it wrong to hand out benefits for illegal behavior, but any extra revenue that accrued to the government as a result of work by illegals is entirely fair, given the volume of state resources (like hospitals, schools etc.) that illegals have used?